Is Meat Loaf really retiring??? It's been five years since he's first gone on record as saying the end is near, but according to his publicist, his upcoming spring UK and German dates will be among his last, saying, the shows -- dubbed, the "Last At Bat" -- are his chance to "bid a final goodbye to his fans." The two act show will feature an opening set comprised of Meat Loaf's string of post-Bat Out Of Hell tracks, with the second set showcasing the 1977 blockbuster in its entirety. There's been no announcement on any North American dates yet.

Meat Loaf recently canceled four New York dates due to Hurricane Sandy and has battled health problems -- including recent knee surgery. He spoke about the tour, and was quoted by Ultimate Classic Rock as saying: "When (songwriter) Jim (Steinman) and I first came together, we couldn't have dreamt the profound effect Bat Out Of Hell would have on both our lives and the lives of our fans around the world. . . This show promises to be an exciting event. I know the fans will enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed putting it together."

Filmmaker Bruce Klein, who directed the recent documentary on Meat Loaf called In Search Of Paradise, explained that although it's easy for Meat Loaf to fall back into the character he played during his late '70s heyday, it's even easier for his audience: "We have this desire to freeze icons at a specific time and a specific place. And there's this issue of, y'know, 'Can an icon evolve?' And everyone wants to see him frozen in time in 1978 with the greasy hair and yet now it's 30 years on. I think it speaks to how powerful that character he created; that red bandanna and that long hair and the tuxedo -- it's the most unlikely, bizarre character."

JUST ANNOUNCED: Meat Loaf "Last At Bat" European tour dates (subject to change):